The BIG EAST Conference has announced repeat opponents for the league's 15 women's basketball teams, while also determining the home/away league schedule for the 2012-13 season. Providence College retains Villanova as a repeat opponent for the sixth-consecutive season. The Friars also have been paired with 2012 BIG EAST Regular-Season Champion Notre Dame. The Irish also advanced to the NCAA Division I Women's Championship game in 2012.

The format for regular-season league play is a 16-game schedule. Each team plays 16 conference games - hosting six opponents at home and playing at six opponents, while having two repeat opponents where both a home and away game will be played. Each member has a total of eight home and eight away games. The rationale in determining the repeat opponents is to provide additional quality television inventory, for competitive issues/RPI implications as well as geographic rivalries/minimizing travel costs.

In addition to playing Villanova and Notre Dame at home in Alumni Hall/Mullaney Gymnasium, the Friars also will host Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, St. John's and USF. Providence will face Cincinnati, DePaul, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Villanova on the road.

The BIG EAST was a combined 159-55 (.743) vs. non-conference opponents during the regular season - the seventh-straight year the league remained above .700.

With next season's start still months away, the future remains bright for BIG EAST women's basketball. In ESPN's 25 teams to watch in 2012-13, the sports network named four BIG EAST teams in the top 11. Connecticut was predicted as No. 2, Notre Dame as No. 8, St. John's at No. 10 and Louisville at No. 11. Of Sports Illustrated's top-10 teams for 2012-13, three were from the BIG EAST with Connecticut listed as No. 2, Louisville at No. 4 and Notre Dame at No. 9.